The Acquisition of the Partington Collection by Whanganui Regional Museum: Valuing Relationships in Museum
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Copyright is owned by the Author of the thesis. Permission is given for a copy to be downloaded by an individual for the purpose of research and private study only. The thesis may not be reproduced elsewhere without the permission of the Author. The Acquisition of the Partington Collection by Whanganui Regional Museum: Valuing relationships in museum policy & practice A thesis presented in partial fulfilment of requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Museum Studies at Massey University, Palmerston North, Aotearoa Rowan Amber Carroll 2008 ii For my beautiful daughter b iii Abstract The purpose of this thesis is to underline the importance of developing useful and mutually beneficial relationships between local iwi and museums, and to consider the subsequent implications for museum practice. The thesis assembles a variety of contemporary sources in order to document and construct a chronological narrative of events: minutes and communications; interviews with staff and key participants in the process of acquiring the Partington Collection by the Whanganui Regional Museum; media reports; and a survey of recent literature. The Partington Collection of Whanganui Māori photographs is integral to this examination because of its importance to both Whanganui iwi and the Whanganui Regional Museum. The situation of colonial photography in museums has changed over the century from being viewed as a factual reflection of the cultural imperatives of indigenous peoples, to being viewed as a colonial construct consigning indigenous peoples to their past. Because this Collection is the most comprehensive photographic documentary of Whanganui Māori from the turn of last century it adds immense value to the Museum’s existing collections. However to Whanganui iwi the photographs of their ancestors are taonga tuku iho: far more than just photographic images they are demonstrably and undeniably imbued with the mana of their tūpuna. The public auction in 2001 of the Partington Collection created a catalyst for action and an opportunity for Whanganui iwi and the Museum to work together to ensure the return of the photographs to Whanganui, an outcome that was finally achieved in 2002. The thesis concludes that the successful return of the Partington Collection to Whanganui could not have been possible without the long term evolving relationship between iwi and the Museum and in particular the more recent emergence of a bi- cameral governance structure. Furthermore the maintenance of relationships and communication is crucial to the evolution of museum practice. This would suggest a reversal of the traditional perspective that museum practice and procedure is pre-eminent. Instead, this case study demonstrates that relationships are at the heart of museum practice. iv Acknowledgements I would like to thank Sharon Dell, Ken Mair, Rihipeti Ngāpera Karena, Ngahina Gardiner, Peter Ireland, Peter and Ann Webb, John and Edith Bell, Grant Huwyler, Elizabeth Sharpe and Michelle Horwood for their participation. I would particularly like to thank the Joint Council and Tikanga Māori House for facilitating access to the Partington Photograph Collection and related Whanganui Regional Museum documents. Libby Sharpe, Whanganui Regional Museum archivist, provided immeasurable support in both access to documents and in proofing the many drafts. Thanks also to Lorraine Weston-Webb who was the copy editor and provided much needed moral support. I would like to extend my deepest sympathy to Edith Bell who lost her husband John unexpectedly on 12 April 2008. Permission to include the images was approved by the Whanganui Regional Museum’s Tikanga Māori House and Joint Council1 and it is with the greatest respect that I include them. The people in these images belong to the whānau, hapū and iwi of the Whanganui region. My supervisors David Butts and Susan Abasa, at Museum Studies Massey University and Grant Huwyler (Ngāti Apa) of the Whanganui Regional Museum’s Joint Council provided wisdom, guidance, constructive criticism, perseverance and encouragement for which I am truly grateful. 1 Minutes , Joint Council, Whanganui Regional Museum 17 September 2004. v Table Of Contents Title i Dedication ii Abstract iii Acknowledgments iv Table of Contents v List of Figures viii Abbreviations xi Chapter One The Introduction Introduction 1 Colonialism in Museum Practice 4 Research Objectives 5 Research Design 6 Part One: Contemporary Museum Practice 6 Part Two: Historical Foundations 7 The Researcher as Museum Practitioner 8 Research Ethics 9 Insider/Outsider 11 Limitations of the Sources 11 Preview of Chapters & Key Arguments 13 Part One Chapter Two The Museum’s Evolving Capacity for Change Introduction 16 The Development of the Taonga Māori Collection 17 Issues Concerning the Taonga Māori Collection 20 The Participation of Māori in Governance 22 The Participation of Māori in Museum Programmes 23 Background to the Adoption of Bi-Cultural Governance 24 Case Study of Contemporary Museum Practice 26 Māori Cloak Collection: An Example of Current Museum Collection Management 29 Summary 36 Chapter Three The Right Thing to Do Introduction 39 Relationships 41 Auction Notification 41 Protest Action 44 Reaction to Protest 50 A Coalition Is Formed 52 Publication Treachery 61 vi Decision to Proceed 63 Te Hokinga Mai 65 Discrepancies Uncovered 70 Summary 72 The Collection’s Management 72 The Exhibition 75 Whanganui Regional Museum’s Collection Management Policy 76 Summary 78 Part Two Chapter Four The Collection Introduction 80 Part One: Colonial Photography 81 Colonial Photography in New Zealand & Partington’s Contribution 82 Commercial Photography 84 Summary 87 Part Two: Partington’s Whanganui Māori Photographic Collection 88 Partington’s Commercial Photography 89 Studio Photographs Produced by Partington for Commercial Gain 92 Use of Studio Props 95 Photographs Taken in the Field as Documentary 99 Photographs Taken in the Field for Commercial Gain 108 Colourisation and Negative Enhancement 108 Appropriation by Others 112 Group Photographs 115 Pornographic Images 115 Photographs Commissioned by Māori for Their Own Purposes 119 Distribution of Partington Photographs 121 Summary 122 Chapter Five Discussion & Conclusion 125 Summary of research outcomes: 1. Documenting the acquisition 126 Summary of research outcomes: 2. Understanding the importance of maintaining relationships in a bi-cultural museum 127 Relationship Discussion: 128 The Coalition (for the purpose of bringing the Collection home) 129 The Challenging Relationship 130 The Necessary Relationship 131 Summary of research outcomes: 3. Documenting Partington 132 Conclusion 133 References Appendix I Participant Consent Form 136 Appendix II Examples of Interview Questions 137 vii Appendix III Cloak Report 142 Appendix IV Partington and His Photographic Practice Introduction 144 The Auckland Years 146 The Whanganui Years 150 The Practice of Nineteenth Century Photography 157 Photographic Style Conventions 159 Technology Impacting on Convention 161 Art Photography 166 Summary 167 Bibliography 169 Glossary of Māori Terms 187 viii Chapter Fig Description Page Chapter Two 2:1 Table Cloak Collection 32 2:2 Cloak Project Team 33 2:3 Before 33 2:4 Documented 34 2:5 Photographed 34 2:6 Condition reported 34 2:7 Vacuum cleaned 34 2:8 Re-housed 35 Chapter Three 3:1 Table: The Escalating Cost of the Partington Collection 58 3:2 Historic Photos Come Home 66 Chapter Four 4:1 Meri Nereaha taken by Gottfried Lindauer in 1884 85 4:2 Laughing Girl by Gottfried Lindauer, 1885 85 4:3 Unidentified woman, W. H. T. Partington 97 4:4 Māori Girl, 1903. Frank Denton 97 4:5 Ngapera, Josiah Martin 97 4:6 Unidentified man with wahaika, W. H. T. Partington 98 4:7 Heta Te Haara, Josiah Martin 98 4:8 Unidentified children, W. H. T. Partington 102 4:9 Unidentified group of women and children, W. H. T. Partington 102 4:10 Two women and their babies, W. H. T. Partington 103 4:11 Unidentified girl paddling a waka, W. H. T. Partington 103 4:12 Unidentified group at Pūtiki Wharanui, W. H. T. Partington 104 4:12a Possibly W. H. T. Partington, detail from 4:12 104 4:13 Nypara (sic) Waterfall, W. H. T. Partington 105 4:14 Waterfall, Pipiriki, W. H. T. Partington 105 ix 4:15 Preparing for the Haka, Wanganui, W. H. T. Partington 106 4:16 Unidentified mother and child, W. H. T. Partington 106 4:17 Jane Chadwick or Tini Rangiao, W. H. T. Partington 107 4:18 Jane Chadwick or Tini Rangiao, W. H. T. Partington 107 4:19 Three young girls, W. H. T. Partington 107 4:20 Waiwarere, W. H. T. Partington 110 4:21 Waiwarere, W. H. T. Partington 110 4:22 ‘Rita’, W. H. T. Partington 111 4:23 ‘Pare’, W. H. T. Partington 111 4:24 Photograph of J. E. Ward painting 113 4:25 Unidentified Youth, W. H. T. Partington 113 4:26 J. E. Ward detail 113 4:27 J. E. Ward detail 113 4:28 Rangitupu Take Take, W. H. T. Partington 1173 4:29 Rihipeti Kurahoro & child, W. H. T. Partington 118 4:30 Ana Rupene & Huria, Gottfried Lindauer 118 4:31 Pūtiki Komiti, W. H. T. Partington 119 4:32 Three unidentified females, W. H. T. Partington 121 4:33 Verso of 5:8, W. H. T. Partington 121 4:34 Young New Zealand, Frank Denton 123 Appendix IV IV:1 Unidentified people outside the studio of W. H. T. Partington on Greys Avenue 155 IV:2 Corner of Victoria Avenue and Taupo Quay, Wanganui, W. H. T. Partington 155 IV:3 Ethel Maude Partington with unidentified woman, W. H. T. Partington 156 IV:4 Portrait circa 1885 of an unidentified family group, W. H. T. Partington 160 IV:5 Portrait of the Gilbert Family, Wanganui, W. H. T. Partington 160 x IV:6 Portrait circa 1891 of WJ Davis & unidentified woman, J. Dunlop 162 IV:7 Wedding portrait, Alfred Martin 162 IV:8 Portrait of Pat London, W. H. T. Partington 164 IV:9 Wanganui Rifles, winners Garrison Tug of War May 1892, W.